Academic knowledge may not be most important

The Kansas State Department of Education asked focus groups at nearly 30 town hall meetings throughout the state about the kinds of knowledge and skills that students should have by the time they become adults. Only 23 percent of those surveyed said that traditional academic knowledge was the most important, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. Many more said schools should focus on nonacademic and interpersonal skills such as communication, teamwork, citizenship and family skills. Business and industry representatives rated “conscientiousness” – the ability to perform a task correctly and see it through to the finish – as the most important skill, the Journal-World reported. – Phillip Brownlee